The Fourth Session



Part A

These are the steps I followed from The Third Session on Tuesday evening until this fourth session on Saturday evening.

Step 1. Get to your Examen digital home.

Step 2. Scan the morning (if it's noon) or the afternoon/evening (if it's approaching bedtime) of your calendar for about a minute.

Step 3. Return to your Examen digital home. 

Step 4. Recite Your Breath Prayer Three Times

Inhale: "Lord, you are here..."
Exhale: "...and I am with you."

"Holy Spirit, open the eyes of my soul to see the gifts you have put before me this morning/evening. Teach me to recognize Your love in the details." 

Step 5. Close your eyes. Instead of reviewing your calendar mentally, let your mind settle on one or two moments that "flicker" or feel most significant. Savor (The Heart). Spend four minutes of eyes-closed prayer fully feeling the gratitude. Let it warm you. Talk to God about it.

Step 6. Save (The Hand): Only after the prayer is over, open your eyes and type the key phrase.

Step 7. Simply say, "Thank you, Lord, for these gifts," and return to your day or prepare for sleep.

Here are my key phrases from the gratitude experiment:

  • Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
  • Gemini-Assisted Ignatian Examen Gratitude Experiment
  • Biweekly Therapy Sessions
  • Double Love Command: Social Work to Martha and Mary
  • Brother Duffy's 2026 Lent Retreat Encouragement
  • Calm, Complex Faith in Jesus During the First Hours of a Cancer Diagnosis
  • Last Friday in February Support System: Mom, Car, Grocery Stores, Hair Stylist and SNAP/SSI/Medicaid
  • Large Block of Uninterrupted Writing Time, Energy, Clarity and Structure on a Caffeine "Treat Day"
  • Calm Upon Receipt of News of War; Courage of God's Soldiers (Including Pacifist Monks) and Wisdom of God's Diplomats and Generals (Including Peacemaking Jesuit World Federalists) in Dealing with the Challenge Posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran
  • The Story of Monasticism by Greg Peters

Part B

This is my follow-up interaction with Gemini:


Q1. It's Saturday evening and I am ready to incorporate the second step of the Examen into my existing routine. What do you recommend?

Q2. Can you say more about how exactly Ignatius taught the second step of the Examen?

Q3. Is there a sense in which the first step of the Examen is a request for warmth from God, and the second is a request for light from God?

Q4. I ended up using key phrases instead of keywords in my digital Examen journal and that seems to be helping me. "Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton" felt more respectful, for example. But some of my gratitude phrases got a little bit long. Do you think this matters much at this point, or can I just go with the flow here a little?

Part C

This is my updated protocol through Tuesday evening.

Step 1. Get to your Examen digital home.

Step 2. Scan the morning (if it's noon) or the afternoon and evening (if it's approaching bedtime) of your calendar.

Step 3. Return to your Examen digital home. 

Step 4. Recite Your Breath Prayer Three Times

Inhale: "Lord, you are here..."
Exhale: "...and I am with you."

"Holy Spirit, open my heart to feel the warmth of the gifts you have put before me today. Teach me to savor Your blessings." 

Step 5. Close your eyes. Instead of reviewing your calendar mentally, let your mind settle on the blessing(s) that feels most warming to the heart. Savor (The Heart). Spend four minutes of eyes-closed prayer fully feeling the gratitude. Let it warm you. Talk to God about it.

Step 6. Save (The Hand): Only after the prayer is over, open your eyes and type the key phrase.

Step 7. Simply say, "Thank you, Lord, for this gift."

Step 8. Request the Light

"Now, Holy Spirit, I ask for the light, memory, courage and understanding to know my sin and rid myself of it."

Step 9. Close your eyes. Let the Holy Spirit guide you to the truth God wants you to see in this session. Look gently and lovingly, without defensiveness or despair.

Step 10. Open your eyes and type a key phrase.

Step 12. Simply say, "Thank you, Lord, for this insight." Return to your day or proceed to bed. 



Part D

Saturday night's key sin phrase:

  • Vegan monastic pacifism or Christian Zionist militarism?

To be continued on Tuesday evening...

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